We woke up at 4:30 to leave by 6 to get to the park by 6:45 to catch the first park shuttle at 7:00. None of us truly loved getting up at 4:30 (it was really 3:30 to us, since we’d just lost an hour the day prior), but we were fueled by excitement.
We hopped on the shuttle & stared open-mouthed as we made our way to the end of the line, the Temple of Sinawava, to explore the Riverside Walk (2.2 mi). The Narrows was closed, as the Virgin River was currently running over 700 cubic ft/sec (to open the Narrows to hikers, the river must be under 150 cfs). It was a freezing 38 degrees, which made for some grumpy hikers. While taking-in the waterfall, Sofina spotted a duck braving the rapids of the Virgin River (we even saw him get air!). We all laughed, & it quickly boosted our attitudes. Animals are great.
Our plan was to start at the back of the park & make our way downward throughout the day, hitting as many hikes as possible. After the Riverside walk we took the shuttle down to Big Bend, where a man tracks the condors. We talked to him & another ranger, spotted 2 condors, & looked thru his telescope at a condor perched on the ledge (condors have a wingspan of 9 feet).
Next, we took the shuttle down to Weeping Rock (1/2 mi hike), where we got to hike up to a waterfall & climb behind it! The rock wall behind it drips (weeps) around the plants growing out of it. It’s gorgeous.
Next, we took the shuttle to The Grotto & started out on the Kayenta Trail (2 mi) that led to views of the Emerald Pools (we took the lower trail from here back to Zion Lodge, 1.2 mi). While our first two hikes were safe with little to no drop-offs, this one was different. There were so many places where you could just… fall off. And die. Sheer cliffs. TJ & I found ourselves near our limit for heights on this hike, but we still enjoyed it! The kids seem unaffected by heights & enjoyed taunting us about it.
We were pooped (the 4:30 wake-up & 7 miles of hiking hit us), so we took the shuttle back to the Visitor Center around 1:00, & it was packed. We hoped a ranger there could help us plan tomorrow’s hikes. We love talking to rangers. They have so much info & are excited to share it. Usually. Today, we got Crotchety Ranger. We told him what we’d hiked, he threw up his hands, grumbled, “There’s not much left,” and looked off into the distance. We finally dragged a recommendation out of him – the Sand Bench Trail (7.6 mi). I asked about Kolob Canyons, a section of Zion 40 miles around the northwest area of the park, & what we could do there. Some of that canyon’s trails were closed due to landslides. He shrugged his shoulders, sighed, & drew a star on the map where I was already pointing. M’kay…
On the way home, we stopped at River Rock Roasting Company near our campground for lattes and smoothies. We had the entire rest of the day to relax – it’s amazing how long the day can be when you get started at 4:30! Chase grilled chicken thighs on the charcoal grill for dinner.
I picked up a copy of Down the Great Unknown at the visitor center shop. It tells the story of John Wesley Powell’s journey to explore the Grand Canyon in 1869, which was at this point in history, to white settlers at least, unexplored. It connects so much of what we’re seeing & learning on this trip. These men, in their wooden boats, set out just after the Transcontinental Railroad was finished (Sofina shared with us what she’d read about the golden spike at the railroad museum in San Diego). Powell’s trip was predicted to be a giant tragedy, having no maps or information whatsoever (even WITH a map it’s easy to get lost or feel nervous on trails). And, in 1869, Los Angeles’s population was under 6,000 (after living there, in that city of almost 4 million, we all tried to imagine that!). This book is the perfect addition to our adventures – (unlike Anna Karenina, which I’d hoped to finally finish on this journey… one day, perhaps)!
Go Big and Go Roam 
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